Vegan Peach Cobbler

Last full week before I go back. I've spent it mostly with Liam, specifically with Liam, which sounds obvious but requires intention when there are also groceries to buy and laundry to do and all the logistical maintenance that doesn't stop because you want to be present. I've been putting the laundry off. I've been going to the waterfront every morning instead.

We went to the Children's Museum on Thursday, which at five months is more about the light and the sound and the faces of other children than about any actual exhibit, but Liam tracked everything with the attention he brings to all new environments and I carried him through room after room and narrated and he answered in the vowel-heavy language he's been developing for weeks. A woman stopped me near the water play area and said "he is so alert" and I said yes he is and I felt proud in a way that was immediate and animal and nothing like the professional pride I'm used to feeling.

I made peach galette on Sunday because the peaches are finally perfect—this is the narrow window of the year when they taste like what a peach is supposed to taste like, and I wanted to make something for the last Sunday. Sean ate two pieces. My mother came over for coffee and ate a piece and said "you should write this recipe down" and I thought about how my grandmother said the same thing about the brown bread every year and never wrote it down, and I went and found a pen and wrote the recipe down on the inside cover of the nearest book, which happened to be a novel Sean was reading. He'll forgive me.

I wrote the galette recipe down, but I’ve also been thinking about how a peach cobbler captures the same impulse — that urgent need to do something worthy of a peach at its peak — with a little more forgiveness built in. This vegan version is what I’d make on a weeknight when I want the peaches to be the whole point, when I want something warm and fragrant to share with whoever shows up for coffee, something I can put together without measuring too carefully because the last few days have already asked enough of me.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

5 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (about 5–6 medium peaches)
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (or other neutral oil)
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or oat milk)
1 tablespoon raw or turbinado sugar, for topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×9-inch or similar 2-quart baking dish.
Prepare the peach filling. Toss the sliced peaches with 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and cornstarch until evenly coated. Spread into the prepared baking dish in an even layer.
Mix the batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add the melted coconut oil and almond milk and stir until just combined — a few small lumps are fine. Do not overmix.
Assemble the cobbler. Spoon the batter over the peaches in dollops, spreading gently so it nearly covers the fruit but leaves some gaps for steam to escape. Sprinkle the raw sugar evenly over the top.
Bake. Bake for 38–42 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the biscuit portion comes out clean, and the peach filling is bubbling around the edges.
Rest and serve. Let the cobbler cool for at least 10 minutes before serving so the filling can set slightly. Serve warm on its own or with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.

Nutrition (per serving)

Vegan Peach Cobbler — The Narrow Window When Peaches Taste Like Peaches